Badgers are digging up human bones in a graveyard – and parishioners have been told there is nothing they can do to stop them.

At least four graves have been disturbed in the closed graveyard of St Remigius Church, in Long Clawson, near Melton.

The badgers, believed to be living in a sett in the churchyard, have dug up and taken skulls, leg and arm bones, which have been found in a ditch on the edge of the churchyard.

A child took a human leg bone home, thinking it was a stick.

The parish council, which manages the graveyard, spoke to the Badger Trust, which advised putting up a gate to stop the animals returning to their sett.

But environmental advisory body Natural England has blocked the bid because it said moving the badgers could make the problem worse, create further disturbance to the graves and cause more damage to a historic moat wall.

The Rev Simon Shouler, who will hold a service to re-bury the bones, said: "We have had bones dug up on three occasions this year and we are unable to stop the badgers.

"One father told me his son brought home what he thought were sticks but they were bones.

"Natural England wants us to carry on monitoring the situation but we have monitored it all summer and we know there is a problem.

"The real question is should we be protecting badgers?

"It's not right to disturb the last resting place of anyone, whether they were buried eight, 80 or 800 years ago.

"No-one's grave should be disturbed and if it ever has to be it should be in a decent and seemly manner."

Burials in the graveyard stopped in 1910 because it was full.

Mr Shouler said he would continue to carry out regular patrols to pick up stray bones, store them and re-inter them all in a new grave.

Tim Hill, of Natural England, said: "We fully share Mr Shouler's concerns and are committed to finding a workable solution that protects the graveyard and the nearby ancient monuments without compromising the welfare of the badger population.

"The recent licence application proposed measures to exclude badgers from parts of the site.

"Along with English Heritage, we have been concerned that this could make the problem worse, creating further disturbance to the graves as well as further damage to the historic moat wall."

A spokeswoman for English Heritage said: "We share concerns that the potential exposure of human remains is very sensitive.

"Our role is to protect both the human remains and the scheduled monument."

Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, it is illegal to kill, injure or take a badger or interfere with a sett.